The present invention relates to solar collectors and more particularly, to those used primarily for space heating purposes.
Some collectors of the prior art are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,068,652; 4,246,888; 4,108,155; 4,248,212; and 4,154,220. As a review of these patents demonstrates, such solar collectors typically include a dark, or black, collector which is heated by the sun, and cooled either by a network of fluid heat exchange pipes circulating a coolant within the collector, or by an airflow directed over the top of the collector. The efficiency of each prior art device varies with its particular structure, but none are highly efficient. In addition to being somewhat inefficient to varying degrees, the prior art structures are complicated in design, and accordingly, expensive in construction, as well as typically being large and heavy, and therefore, a substantial undertaking to construct and install.
Hence, there is a long standing need for a more efficient solar collector, which is lightweight, inexpensive in construction, and easy to install. This need is especially great in view of the present energy shortage, and the expense normally involved in installing available collectors into existing homes or buildings.